Andrea Bocelli makes early plans for U.S. holiday run

Following a scattered European trek, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli will make his way to the U.S. this holiday season for a tour of major markets.

The multi-instrumentalist will spend parts of June and July on the European tour trail, followed by a four-month break. The newly-announced U.S. leg kicks off Nov. 23 in San Jose, CA, and pushes through six cities nationwide before closing Dec. 5 in Brooklyn, NY. .

Bocelli has embarked on a Christmas tour each year since the release of his most recent album, "My Christmas," in 2009, a set that has sold more than 5 million copies to date. The celebratory collection follows his 12th studio set, entitled "Incanto," which surfaced in 2008 and features Neopolitan love songs from Bocelli's childhood.

"I don't think one decides to become a singer," Bocelli said at his website "It is decided for you by the reactions of the people around you."

The crossover artist, who was named one of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People in 1998, earned a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist in 1999, making him the first and only classical musician to to earn a nomination in that category since Leontyne Price in 1961.